To the Cat Girl, the news was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue.
The Holy Wing Islands had finally weathered their darkest days, and in recent years, bitterness had at last given way to sweetness—the Relief Association had completely cast off the merchants' suppression and gained an armed force of its own. Through Xia Fan's introductions, it had also forged close ties with the reorganized Hera Church. After the Lightwing Angels had dealt the Mage Tower a devastating blow, it had effectively withdrawn from the struggle for power. She and Miss Eternal Wing had joined hands to rebuild the nation, formally naming it the Saint Wing Alliance.
The workers' treatment and lives had steadily improved, cities destroyed by war were gradually being rebuilt, and even the lands overrun by Evil Spirits had begun to show signs of receding under everyone's counteroffensive. Everything had been moving in a better direction.
Now, learning that all those achievements had been built upon false prosperity, that everything they had gained could turn to foam at any moment as the world collapsed, was simply too crushing a blow.
"But the claim that the world outside is filled with darkness and cold isn't false," Taxisis said with some reluctance. "According to the rumors, it is a barren wasteland without a trace of life, utterly unfit for human survival. If such a place is the real world, then what meaning does it have for us?"
"That's why I call this place a shelter." Xia Fan sighed softly. "Or rather, when it was first established, it really was meant to provide a living space far from our homeland. But it absolutely does not represent the entirety of survival."
The Dragon Girl immediately caught the crucial point.
"Far from our homeland? You mean... our ancestors weren't born inside the